Globovisión

24 hour television news network

Globovisión is a 24 hour television news network. It broadcasts over the air in Caracas, Aragua, Carabobo and Zulia on UHF channel 33. Globovisión is seen in the rest of Venezuela on cable or satellite (Globovisión has an alliance with DirecTV, where it can be seen on channel 110) and worldwide from their website. Some of Globovisión's programs can be seen in the United States on cable network Canal Sur and TV Venezuela, a channel offered in DirecTV's Para Todos package. In Latin America, Globovision can be seen in Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and other territories as Aruba, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Curaçao in DirecTV's package (channels 293 and 724).

On 1 December 1994, Luis Teófilo Núñez Arismendi, Guillermo Zuloaga Núñez, Nelson Mezerhane Gosen, and Alberto Federico Ravell Arreaza, inaugurated Globovisión, channel 33, the first 24 hour news network in Venezuela to broadcast over the air. Currently, Globovisión is broadcast over the air in Caracas, Aragua, Carabobo and Zulia. Globovisión's programming is also carried by 95 percent of the nation's cable systems. The day after the 2002 coup attempt, Globovisión mostly rebroadcast the previous day's events. Federico Ravell reportedly called CNN to ask them to join a media blackout. CNN did not confirm nor denied the claim. Ravell was the only media executive that acknowledged withholding information that day, apologizing to "any viewer who feels we failed them that day." Gustavo Cisneros, director of Venevisión, and others have argued that the lack of coverage was caused by threats and intimidation from pro Chávez demonstrators, who surrounded several television stations in Caracas. In 2009, pro government leader Lina Ron led an armed attack on Globovisión, where she and attackers threw tear gas into the headquarters of the news organization that left injured multiple individuals inside and threatened its security with firearms. On 17 February 2010, Ravell, general director of the channel, was dismissed from his post by board of directors of Globovision due to "differences with its partners". Ravell said he had to " sacrifice himself leaving office for the channel wasn't sold and falls into the hands of Government of Hugo Chavez". In 2013, Globovisión was sold to an economist and businessman with connections to the Venezuelan government, Juan Domingo Cordero, who also runs the insurance company La Vitalicia. and, according to the New York Times, the opposition. Following the announcement, Globovisión and 23 other companies were added to the Specially Designated Nationals list of OFAC. All the assets subject to the jurisdiction of the United States are frozen and American citizens are prohibited from conducting economic transactions with them.

Globovisión was critical of the Chavista movement. Along with other private television stations, it supported the Venezuelan opposition protests against President Hugo Chávez, celebrating the 2002 coup attempt along with its leaders and censoring reports of countercoup action that placed Chávez back into office. The network was a leading entity within the opposition coalition Coordinadora Democrática beside Venevisión and Fedecamaras, supporting insurrection against the Chávez government. Globovision is able to broadcast outside of Venezuela, and does so through satellite television. Microwave equipment, which allows for live transmissions, has been seized by the Government. In May 2007, President Chávez claimed during a speech that Globovision had been actively encouraging civil unrest in Venezuela, as well as his assassination. His claim on the latter was based on broadcast footage of the attempted murder of Pope John Paul II (which was part of a series of pictures showing RCTV's historical news coverage) in combination with a song titled "Esto no termina aquí" ("This does not end here"). The Venezuelan government filed a complaint against Globovision with the Attorney General Office on this matter. Venezuelan students marched in the streets to protest the closure of RCTV and threats to Globovision. Globovision's director, Alberto Ravell, said, "We are not going to change our editorial line that we are not afraid of the threats from this government." In information published through WikiLeaks from the United States Embassy in Venezuela, after "60 allegations" against Globovisión in Venezuelan court, the Venezuelan government pressured a partner, banker Nelson Mezerhane, to buy all the shares of Globovisión in order to fire Ravell. After the 2013 sale of Globovisión to Juan Domingo Cordero, Globovisión's managerial staff stated that the editorial line would be changed and would be forced to move to the "centre".

In 2009, Venezuela's telecommunications regulator launched four different investigations into Globovisión. Reporting about an earthquake before an official report later made on the official government channel and not paying $2.3 million tax for giving free airtime to anti government groups during the 2002 oil strike were two of the accusations in the investigations. Chávez demanded sanctions against Globovisión, calling station director Alberto Federico Ravell "a crazy man with a cannon". This action was criticized by two officials who monitor freedom of speech, Frank La Rue of the United Nations and Catalina Botero of the Organization of American States. On March 25, 2010, network owner Guillermo Zuloaga was briefly arrested, then released pending investigation, by Venezuelan military intelligence. The country's Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz stated that the arrest was for speech by Zuloaga that President Hugo Chávez deemed false and "offensive." Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Human Rights Foundation, the Inter American Press Association, the International Press Institute, the United States Department of State, Reporters without Borders, representatives of the Catholic Church, and others have protested the investigation and Chavez's infringement on press freedom in Venezuela.